Month: April 2016

THERE IS A PROCESS TO REACH THE PROMISE…


Spiritual Blog - Promise

John 8:31-32 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  NKJV

 

I’ve been thinking about Israel’s journey into their Promised Land and I some things stood out in my meditation that is applicable to us today in our journey from where we are to the Place of Promise God has for us, individually and collectively.

  • Their Deliverance was not due to their Ability, Power, or Goodness, but solely based on God’s Grace.
  • Their Promised Land, though “legally” theirs, was occupied.
  • Before they could take Possession of their Promise they had go through a Wilderness.
  • They had to learn the Requirements and Conditions of the Covenant.
  • They had to determine who their Enemy was and learn How to Fight. 

I fully believe and often declare, “God wants us to be victorious.”  It is, without question, God’s desire that we “pull down strongholds.”  He wants us to put the enemy to flight and walk in victory and He wants us to “dispossess” the enemy.  Yet, we will never accomplish those things UNLESS we come to the place that we KNOW.  There are some things that we must LEARN and become fully acquainted with if we are to Possess the Promise.

We need to KNOW:

  • God’s Word, His Covenant Promises.
  • God, His Person, and Character.
  • Who We Are, in Christ.
  • Our Weapons of Warfare.
  • Our Enemy. (Not flesh and blood)

It is high time that we as believers and the Church, in general, learn how to fight spiritual warfare and possess our spiritual promises.  It is imperative that we “focus on principles”, learn to be “overcomers” and the reality that although some things are ours “legally” we sometimes fail to possess them “actually.”  I am totally convinced that for us to BECOME what God has purposed we have to PREPARE.  Preparation can be difficult and face much discouragement and will result in failure if we do not have a vision and/or goal.  We have to see the ultimate objective clearly and determine that nothing will deter us from reaching that destination.

There are Principles which are beyond important if we are to be successful in our journey from our “actual” position to our “legal” position, spiritually.  If we learn those principles and come to grips with those five things I mentioned at the beginning we will be able to fight the good fight of faith and reach the place of victory.  It is as we learn the Principles of Victory and understand that it is not because of us but by His Grace we move forward.  It is as we learn that although the Place of Promise is our legally it is occupied by an enemy, we are able to prepare for the battle and face reality.  It is as we understand that before we can possess the promise we will go through a wilderness training and there we learn the requirements and conditions of His Covenant.  Then, we must discover who our real enemy is and allow the Holy Spirit to train us for war.  Once we have those things in our hearts we must make the commitment to STAND and FIGHT.  We have the Promise and God has provided the armor.  You have a promise and there is an enemy who wants to keep you from possessing it.

Let’s move from longing for the Place of Promise to Preparing to Possess the Promise.  God bless you as you go through this day’s preparation in Him.

 

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WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST???


Spiritual Blog - Two Masters

Matthew 6:24-25 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

 25 “Therefore I say to you…”  NKJV

 

The Bible tell us that “where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also…”  [Luke 6:21].  That which holds our heart holds our love, loyalty, and life.  I have had people try to convince me that if I love God I have to hate possessions and money.  I find that counter-intuitive in many respects.  The Bible uses the word “hate” on a number of occasions not to be interpreted as “despise” but “love less”.  We are to have less an affinity for the things of this world, including money and/or possessions than we do for Christ and the things of God.  That is almost too simplistic a characterization but appropriate, in my view.

It is human nature to develop a love-hate relationship with things that run counter to that which we love supremely.  If we are placed in a position to choose between God or possessions we will gravitate toward one and develop and hatred for the other.  If we are driven by the pursuit of money or things we will find that our hearts have much less room for God and His principles and precepts.  We will find it necessary to justify our actions and lives to accommodate our supreme love, “mammon.”  If we are driven by a desire to “be holy, because He is holy” we will often develop a distrust and disgust for possessions.  Sadly, many never find a balance where God is supreme and possessions or mammon fits into the second position in a wholesome and healthy relationship.  We are “in” this world but not “of” it but we must never forget we are IN IT and therefore, need to learn to operate in it in the light of God and His word.

I am always amazed at how often we take verse 24 as an isolated and stand-alone passage ignoring the THEREFORE of verse 25.  The fact that verse 25 begins with THEREFORE is a reason to examine its content in conjunction with the message and warning of verse 24.  It is because of the truth and danger of verse 24 that we need verse 25.  It is because we cannot serve two masters and will either choose God or mammon that we need to understand the hope of verse 25.

Spiritual Blog - Love

THEREFORE, because you cannot serve two masters and will either serve God or mammon – DON’T WORRY or spend needless energy worrying about food, drink, clothing, housing, transportation, etc.  The continuation of the message of hope and reality continues through verse 33 and is powerful if we can receive it and understand that it is not possessions that are the problem but our being overly concerned with mammon.  It boils down to a matter of TRUST.  If we understand that our hearts cannot hold supreme allegiance to God and the driving pursuit of possessions or money we can then turn our faith to God and place our trust and confidence in Him and His ability and willingness to provide for us.  If I do not trust God completely then I will find mammon gaining strength in my life and focus.

The question is not just “What Do You Love Most?”  It is “What or Who Do You Trust?”  It boils down, simplistically to, Trust God or Trust Possessions.  If God has not met my timeframes, deadlines and schedules I may question whether I can fully and totally trust Him to provide.  But, if I “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” I find that His timing is perfect and my arbitrary deadlines and schedules are manufactured out of my limited ability to see.  He sees the end from the beginning and we see the beginning from the end.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

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YOU CAN’T FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT IN GOD…


Spiritual Blog - Fake It

 

Acts 19:11-20 – “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”  NKJV

 

 This devotional is available via YouTube in audio form.  The link is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htwO5O2AiiQ&feature=youtu.be

 

I can understand this type of activity from non-believers but it is especially troubling when believers try to imitate someone being used of God in the miraculous.  I have learned and am totally convinced that God cannot be reduced to a formula but will always remain the Sovereign God of All Creation and just because He does His works one way through one does not mean that can be reduced to a formula.  This account illustrates the fallacy and insult to God in attempting to press Him into a box and manipulate His power.  It is not only foolish but dangerous to attempt to do so.

When a move of God transpires or a minister comes through and God uses that movement or minister in “the works that I do you shall do also” and brings the Book of Acts to life through them, I cringe when I see churches copying what was done.  They attempt to duplicate God’s works by mimicking what they say.  I have been informed I am not welcome in places because I refer to this passage when I see that.  We will not manifest God by mimicking what we see in another.  We will manifest God when we give our hearts wholly to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to direct our steps, words, and deeds.  There is no “shortcut” to God or God’s Power.

These men were impressed with the miraculous and wrongly assumed if they used the words and followed the pattern of Paul they would achieve the same result.  Boy, were they wrong and if it were not so tragic it would be comical when we see that in churches.  We must always remember it is, “Christ IN US the hope of glory.”  It is not what we see in another that is the hope of glory.  It is Christ IN US…  It is Christ THROUGH US.  It is Him manifesting Himself through us in the manner He chooses not how we decide He should.

Some hold the belief that the days of miracles are passed, but I cannot find that in the Bible after honest evaluation.  Yet, those same people, when faced with the need of a miracle, will ask people to pray.  Why?  If the days of miracles are passed, what is the point in wasting time praying for God to intervene and perform a miracle?  I believe this is in the same category as the saying, “There are no true atheists in foxholes during battle.”  I believe that we all believe in miracles when we need one and that suggests that deep inside we believe that God is God and can do today what He has done at any time in the past.  He is truly the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He does not change! 

I pray that God will help each of us allow Him to be God to us, for us, and through us at all times and in all situations.  God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

 

 

 

 

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